I have a Toshiba 2.5" SATA 120gb drive. codes - MK1252GSX / HDD2H04

It spins up, but clicks in a repeating pattern, although goes quite until you try and access it.

The drive has 2 partitions, first is 2gb with OS recovery/reinstall stuff, and a second which has the main data.

Sometimes, the first partition will show up, and its possible to navigate and eventually copy some files off, the drive is clicking during this. But there is no data of worth here.

The second partition sometimes shows in explorer, although the disk label isn't picked up and as of yet have been unable to view any directory contents.

Device manager shows the drive okay. Disk Management stops responding whilst the drive is plugged in.

Visually the PCB/components look okay.

The drive spins up with just power connected, and clicks also.

"Disconnected" the head stack connector, drive spins up with power and power+data, no clicking.

Having trouble uploading a picture right now (ive tried many sites, my connection is iffy maybe), will update when I get this sorted.



Any ideas? Hopefully all that info is good enough to get started with...

Not PCB problem.
Maybe Weak or failing heads .
Only DIY is to try cloning the drive as Spildit said.

If data is very important, DIY is not advised.
In this state( the drive detecting) the cost of Pro recovery won't be high.
But if the drive fails while DIY , the cost of recovery by a pro will go high.

I would suggest to contact PCImage here on the forum and send him this drive if you want back your data. He is a valued member here and can do this job for you. Like they say the heads sound weak and are failing and the more you play around with this the worse they will get. At this point you do need professional tools to clone this drive if at all possible but chances are it might need the heads swapped out too. But only a correct diagnosis from a DR company will tell you this one. It is hard to say right now if the drive can be imaged in the condition it is in right now or the heads will need to be swapped out in order to get a good image from this drive. If you continue to go on you can risk chance of platter damage. Please contact PCImage and send it to him for a free quote.

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Iorana Haraharaini

Poehere is correct on this one.

With the clicking but occasional LBA access, it sounds like a bad head in the drive.

It is STRONGLY ADVISED NOT to try cloning this drive without new heads, the bad head will almost certainly die completely taking your drive and data with it, during such a stressful procedure.

At this stage the recovery is last certainly possible at a reasonable price, but further tinkering will at least increase the price and decrease the chances of recovery.

_________________
PC Image Data Recovery
http://www.pcimage.co.uk

New!! HDD-PCB.COM for all your PCB and donor HDD requirements!

Thanks for the responses.

After the initial fiddling I did put it down and keep it safe.

Luckily this isn't my drive, but it contained baby photos/videos owned by my sister - who I actually had been baggering about backing it up for ages.

She has decided not to go ahead with any more work sadly, so I have just put it aside for a later date just incase.


thanks all